


three's a crowd

by starkly



Series: you don't have to do this alone [1]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: F/M, Fake/Pretend Relationship, M/M, Meeting the Parents, Multi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-13
Updated: 2018-01-13
Packaged: 2019-03-04 03:20:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,597
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13355421
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/starkly/pseuds/starkly
Summary: Sometimes Tony still can’t believe he’s dating Pepper Potts. True, it only happened a few weeks ago, and he’s still tiptoeing around certain things, not wanting to mess this up. But he’s finally convinced himself that this is really happening. He’s really dating Pepper.Which is why he’s completely unprepared when she comes into the office one morning and says,“My mother’s coming to visit us in New York and I panicked and told her I was dating Rhodey.”





	three's a crowd

**Author's Note:**

> Originally written for NaNoWriMo 2017 and posted at [dailyironfamily](http://dailyironfamily.tumblr.com/post/167036266345/day-01-fake-dating) on tumblr. This fic was proofread before being posted here but is otherwise unchanged.
> 
> Day one: fake dating, Pepper/Tony and Tony/Rhodey established with future Pepper/Tony/Rhodey, set right after IM2.

Sometimes Tony still can’t believe he’s dating Pepper Potts. True, it only happened a few weeks ago, and he’s still tiptoeing around certain things, not wanting to mess this up. But he’s finally convinced himself that this is really happening. He’s really dating Pepper.

Which is why he’s completely unprepared when she comes into the office one morning and says,

“My mother’s coming to visit us in New York and I panicked and told her I was dating Rhodey.”

Tony freezes with a donut halfway to his mouth. A few sprinkles fall off the top. “You panicked? Pepper Potts panicked?”

“I panic sometimes! It happens.”

“This is a really weird way to panic.”

She groans and sits down heavily in one of the chairs in front of the desk. “I told her we were moving the main office to New York, but I may have…not told her we were dating yet.”

“Because you’re ashamed of me?”

“Because we’re keeping it under wraps until the Stark Tower project is announced! You agreed with me on that.”

“Yeah, but it’s your mother—”

“Who hates you.”

Tony sets his donut down, considering the problem. Truth be told, Mrs. Potts was kind of scary. And she did hate him. The less he had to meet with her, the better.

“Can’t you just say you broke up?” he suggests.

“In two weeks?”

“It happens.”

Pepper gives him a look that says her mother will definitely not believe that. Mrs. Potts is the very definition of nosy, he’d learned that the hard way years ago.

He shrugs, shoving a bite of donut into his mouth. “Okay then. Bring Rhodey to meet your mom.”

“Oh yeah, because he’s going to love that idea.”

* * *

“Pepper, that’s…” Rhodey looks like he’s trying not to look amused, and Pepper reminds herself not to be offended. It is a terribly silly predicament. She probably shouldn’t even have asked. “Sure, I’ll meet your mother.”

She stares at him. “You do realize I mean as my boyfriend?”

“I heard you explain the first time.” Rhodey grins, clearly way more amused about this than she is. “I think you’re better off just telling her you lied, but I’ll do it.”

“I am _not_ telling my mother I lied to her,” she says, shuddering. She’d never hear the end of it.

“Does Tony know about this?”

“He wants to come with us so he can see it ‘crash and burn.’ His words.”

“Is that a good idea? I thought your mom hated him.”

Pepper groans and covers her face with her hands.

Laughing, Rhodey pats her on the shoulder. “Look, it’s just a few days, right? One lunch, in and out, she’ll never suspect a thing. And then we can have a really dramatic breakup.”

“The last thing I need is for my mother to think Tony stole me away from ‘that charming Air Force gentleman’ or something,” Pepper says wryly. “But thanks, Jim. I appreciate it.”

Rhodey’s right, it’s only going to be a day. How bad could it be?

* * *

Once in New York she books them a lunch reservation at a nice restaurant, and the day of her mother’s visit Rhodey meets them there, all dressed up and presentable and polite. He doesn’t act like anything’s weird at all, even gives Pepper a kiss on the cheek as he greets her, and Pepper’s surprisingly okay with all of it. Her mother, as expected, loves James, and makes a comment about how he’s nothing like “that terrible boss of yours, Virginia.” Pepper has to hide her laugh behind her wine glass.

And then Tony shows up.

“Fancy meeting you here!” he greets them loudly, a big grin plastered on his face, right under the sunglasses he wears inside buildings when he wants to look like an asshole. Pepper’s going to take those sunglasses and stomp on them. “This is the best place to get brunch, don’t you agree?”

“Mom,” Pepper says very carefully, not taking her eyes off Tony, just daring him to try something stupid, “you remember Mr. Stark.”

“Mrs. Potts,” Tony says cheerfully, taking her mother’s hand and kissing the back of it. “Mind if I join you?”

He doesn’t wait for an answer as he drags a chair over and sits on it backwards. Pepper looks at Rhodey, who’s already looking at her, and they both have to stifle a laugh. She knows Tony’s just getting her back for not fessing up to her mother in the first place, but she’s still going to kill him later. Maybe after the Stark Tower announcement hype dies down.

“You know, I’m kind of offended you asked Rhodey to meet your mom and not me,” Tony’s still going on, looking at Pepper now. “Why would that be?”

“Maybe it’s because we’re very obviously dating,” Rhodey responds before she can, completely straight-faced, and oh God, she’s going to have to kill Rhodey too. She’ll have to go on the run in South America.

“We’ve already met, Mr. Stark,” Mrs. Potts says in the tone Pepper knows means she’s not impressed at all. “Perhaps you were too drunk to remember it.”

Tony doesn’t even flinch. “I’d never forget someone as lovely as you, Mrs. Potts. Clearly I know now where Pepper gets her good looks.”

Pepper tries to kick him under the table, but he’s too far away. Rhodey does it for her, from the irritated sound Tony makes, and she smiles at Rhodey in thanks.

Her mother gives all of them a puzzled look. “Is everything all right here?”

“Everything’s peachy, Mrs. Potts,” Tony says, turning his dazzling smile back on her. “Have you ever had the tiramisu here? It’s fantastic.”

“Tony,” Rhodey interjects before Mrs. Potts can answer, and okay, maybe she won’t have to kill Rhodey too. “Don’t you have…a thing to get to?”

“Nope, canceled everything for the day. How could I miss hanging out with my favorite people, the lovely Mrs. Potts and my Rhodeybear?” He looks over at Pepper. “Oh yeah, and you.”

Pepper snorts and nearly chokes on her wine, quickly putting the glass down out of the way so she’s not tempted any further. Rhodey is staring at the ceiling, but he’s grinning. Her mother meanwhile looks increasingly confused, and Pepper sighs, figuring she should just come clean before Tony did anything stupid.

Before she can decide, Tony’s phone buzzes, and he checks the screen, groaning at whatever shows up. “Scratch that, duty calls. Try the tiramisu, Mrs. Potts, I’m not kidding.” He stands, pocketing his phone. “Bye, honey.”

And then he leans down and kisses Rhodey.

Pepper can’t help it—she finally laughs out loud as her mother lets out a confused “What?”

Tony doesn’t even slow down, waving goodbye over his shoulder as he walks away. Rhodey is trying to keep a straight face, but he’s doing a poor job of it, and Pepper sighs and throws her napkin down on the table. So much for keeping things under wraps.

* * *

“I had to explain to my mother what was going on, like, ten times because of you,” Pepper grumbles later that night, tucked up against Tony’s side on the couch in their penthouse suite. Rhodey’s curled up on Tony’s other side, enjoying what time he has left in the city before he ships out again. He reaches over Tony and pats Pepper on the hand.

“At least your mom still likes you. I think she’s grouped me in the ‘troublesome’ category with Tony now.”

“In my defense,” Tony says, then stops, because he has zero defense in this situation. It was just funny. “It’ll teach you to lie to your mom, I guess.”

“It would have been fine if you didn’t show up!” Pepper retorts, and Tony just shrugs.

“Yeah, we were having fun,” Rhodey adds, laughing. “Your mom’s not bad, Pep.”

Pepper and Tony both groan, and Tony lets his head drop back against the couch, eyes shut. “She’s a nightmare,” Pepper agrees with his assessment, “when she’s being nosy. What do you mean you were having fun?”

Rhodey looks at her over Tony’s head, smile fading slightly. “You weren’t?”

“I mean, I thought it was an imposition. For you.”

“No, of course not!” Rhodey shakes his head. “Being your fake date was fine.”

Tony cracks an eye open, glancing between the two of them and this interesting development.

Pepper purses her lips thoughtfully. “Just fine?”

The two of them stare at each other, neither saying anything. Unable to take it anymore, Tony sits up and breaks the silence.

“How about you two go on a date that’s not fake? No mothers involved.”

Pepper startles, like she’d forgot he was there. “Tony.”

“I’m serious.” He holds up his hands, index fingers together in the shape of an arrow, then connects his thumbs. “I wouldn’t mind closing the triangle.”

Rhodey laughs, batting Tony’s hands away. “I mean. He has a point. If you’re interested?”

Pepper looks between them, trying to decide if this is a joke or…

Rhodey must mistake her hesitation for rejection, because he quickly adds, “It’s all right, I get it. It’d be weird.”

“No, you know what? I would be interested.” She smiles and reaches over Tony for Rhodey’s hand, taking it in hers. “We never did get to try that tiramisu.”

Rhodey smiles back and gives her hand a squeeze.

“But you had better not show up,” she says to Tony, glaring at him, “until at least the third date.”

Tony just laughs and drapes his arms around both their shoulders, pulling them into a hug.


End file.
